Apparatus for the use of medicinal aerosols



Dec. 16, 1947.v

F. J. M. THEUNISSEN Filed April 11, 1946 1. ///K 1 gm I a m 1 4 5 a I l 5 1 H H H 7.

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- 0W5 70/9.- FRANCO/sum (VA/P14: mf'a/wwixv AGf/VT Patented Dec. 16, 1947 KBPH-REATUS FGRTHE USE? OF AEROSOLS Francois. Jean Marie. Tlleuni'ssen, Brussels, Belgi'um", as'signor to Societe Anonymc Teco, Bois- Application: April: 11, 19%;. Serial Notv 661,187- In. Belgium October 4-,,194-1- Section' 1 Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires October 4, 1961 6 Glaims To permit the proper use of medicinal products in the. form of aerosols intended to be inhaled; it' is advisable t'obe able tocollect these in such mann'e'ras to have available a quantity of aerosols sufiicient fora complete treatment and to" be able to controland estimate theirdensity.

The presentinvention has for its object to pro vide an apparatus permittingthe colle'ctibnv of. aerosols'in quantity appropriate to the object in View, as also their control and efficient. utilisation.

The apparatus according to theinventionconp prises essentially a hermetically closed jar in which the aerosols are developed: or into which they are conveyed and from which they can pass out through a tube the extremity of which opens out on the exterior of the jar and is connected to a mask or other means of inlri'alation used by the patient, whilst the other end opens into the upper part of a transparent ball or globe, or similar device, permitting the density of the aerosols to be. controlled.

Furthermore, it hasbeen found that the'quality of aerosols stored in. the jar of the apparatus according to the invention is improved by reason of the factvthat, in this j'ar, the aerosols are freed from theirlarger particles, the condensation of which is probably due to the combined action of the effect of the cold walls of the jar and the: drop in velocity of the flow of aerosols. The absence of large particles in the current leaving the jar is very advantageous, because the presence of large drops in the aerosols intended to be inhaled would cause the precipitation of the aerosols in the upper respiratory passages and would thus greatly reduce or even eliminate the useful efiect the treatment is intended to provide.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which by way of example show sectional views of two embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention.

This apparatus comprises a jar I of suitable capacity closed hermetically by a cover 2. In the example illustrated, the aerosol generator 3 is suspended from the cover and is in the interior of the apparatus, its tubing 8 being connected to a source of compressed air or other gas. This generator may also be arranged externally of the jar and supply aerosols into the latter through a tube.

A transparent globe 4, for example of glass, is mounted, for example by means of screws on the cover 2 and communicates with the jar l. One of the ends of a bent tube projects into the upper" part. of the. globe while its. other end: 1 projectsexternally of thewjanto be connected, for example. by means of a. flexible tube, to: a gas mask; 9; (Fig.1). without inspiration valve or' to some other: device used by the patient for the inhalation of the aerosols;

The means: for generating: the aerosols. canbe any know-ntype of aerosollgenerator; Preferably it should be of the type which efie'cts. the" pulverization of the liquid bymeans' oia'. compressed air jet or pulverizer; in: which the: compressed air in aspirati-ng' or ins delivering on mixing: with the liquid; projects the same with extreme violence into the surrounding air. A suitable generator is disclosed in French. PatentNo. 905,303 issued April: 9,. 1945 to Leonard; Bon-ameau.

Before: emerging through the. tube 5, the aerosols must necessarily pass. through the: glass globe: 4i By'me'ans' of? a comparison charter by means. of. ground or frosted glasses, the density of the aerosols can be checked by comparing the opacity of the. globe: containing: the aerosols with that ofv the saidchart or of the said ground or frosted glasses; Naturally; any other means of control. can-be substitutedfor the glass globe, for example a. photometer permitting very precise measurem'entsa.

The cover 2 also carries a tube 6 which p=rojects into the jar I, which permits communication with the atmosphere and which may be closed or provided with an inspiration valve depending on the use made of the apparatus which may be used either in closed circuit or in open circuit.

In the first case, the tube 6 and the expiration valve of the mask are closed, whilst an absorbent cartridge for carbonic acid is inserted in the flexible tube which, as indicated above, connects the end 1 of the U-shaped tube to the gas mask 9, or it is inserted in the intake opening of the gas mask. The patient thus inhales from and exhales into the hermetically sealed jar I which has been previously filled with aerosols. This method of operation is suitable when a small number of inhalations suffices to obtain the effect sought by means of the treatment.

When a more prolonged treatment is necessary, the apparatus is used with open circuit. In this case, the presence of the tube 6 is necessary. When the tube 1 is connected to a gas mask 9 (Fig. l) the latter must be provided with an expiration valve l0, and an inspiration valve H may be provided on the mask or in the tube 6 for avoiding the escape of aerosols. In the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, the tube 1 is provided with a mouth-piece [2 instead of being connected 3 to a gas mask. The expiration valve is arranged at the end of the tube 1, while the inhalation valve II is arranged at the lower end of the tube 6. When the jar l is filled with aerosols to the required density, the inhalations commence, the generator 3 continuing to function.

The compressed air (or other gas) necessary for the production of the aerosols may in particular be supplied by a hand pump or electric compressor or simply drawn from a compressed air flask provided with an expansion valve.

It will be understood that the device according to the invention may be mounted, if desired with its source of compressed air on a carriage which may also carry the medicaments and the accessories necessary for the treatment.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for the use of medicinal aerosols, comprising a hermetically sealed jar, means for supplying this jar with medicinal aerosols, a device for permitting the density of the aerosols to be controlled and comprising a chamber directly opening into said jar, a delivery tube having one end opening into the upper part of said chamber and having its other end opening externally of the jar, and means for connecting said tube to inhalation means used by the patient.

2. An apparatus for the use of medicinal aerosols, comprising a hermetically sealed jar, means arranged in said jar for developing aerosols therein, a device for permitting the density of the aerosols to be controlled and comprising a chamber directly opening into said jar, a delivery tube having one end opening into the upper part of said chamber and having its other end opening externally of the jar, and means for connecting said tube to inhalation means used by the patient.

3. An apparatus for the supply of medicinal aerosols, comprising a hermetically sealed jar, means for supplying this jar with medicinal aerosols, a transparent globe mounted on the top of said jar and directly opening into the latter, and a delivery tube extending into said globe and having one end opening into the upper part of the latter, its other end opening externally of the jar, and means for connecting said tube to inhalation means used by the patient.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, in which the transparent globe is fixed in a detachable manner to the top of said jar.

5. An apparatus for the use of medicinal aerosols, comprising a jar, means for supplying this jar with medicinal aerosols, a device for permitting the density of the aerosols to be controlled and including a chamber directly opening into said jar, a pipe dipping into said jar and opening to atmosphere, a delivery tube having one end opening into the upper part of said chamber and having its other end opening externally of the jar, means for connecting said tube to inhalation means used by the patient and comprising an exhalation valve, and an inhalation valve arranged between the outer ends of said tube and. said pipe.

6. An apparatus for the use of medicinal aerosols, comprising a jar, means for supplying this jar with medicinal aerosols, a device for permitting the density of the aerosols to be controlled and including a chamber directly opening into said jar, a pipe dipping into said jar and opening to atmosphere, a delivery tube having one end, opening into the upper part of said chamber and having its other end opening externally of the jar, a mouth-piece adapted to said tube for permitting inhalation of aerosols by a patient, an exhalation valve arranged be tween said mouth-piece and the outlet of said tube, and an inhalation valve arranged between said mouth-piece and the inlet of said pipe.

FRANCOIS JEAN MARIE 'IHEUNISSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,202,877 Margan Oct. 31, 1916 2,230,342 Zabban Feb. 4, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 92,276 Austria Apr. 25, 1923 

